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Photo of cooked chicken in red wine sauce showing four chicken thighs in a deep aluminum pan
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4.67 from 3 votes

Chicken in Red Wine Sauce (Coq Au Vin)

Chicken in Red Wine Sauce, or French Coq Au Vin, is made with braised chicken thighs, bacon, shallots, and carrots simmered in a sweet red wine. It's perfect for Sunday dinner, or a special occasion.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Keyword: chciken thighs in red wine sauce, coq au vin recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 890kcal
Author: Bernadette

Ingredients

  • 4 large bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 ½ pounds)
  • salt and pepper ,for seasoning the chicken
  • 8 slices bacon ,chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ,divided
  • 4 shallots ,peeled and quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic ,peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 pound baby carrots ,rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 4 cups concord grape wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  • Saute chopped bacon in a deep saute pan or large pot over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon (while turning the heat down on the bacon grease in the pot) to a paper towel lined plate and pat the grease off with additional paper towels.
  • Raise the heat on the pot back up to medium, add bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned. Turn with tongs and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate, set aside.
  • Add two tablespoons butter to the pot, stir in baby carrots (or sliced carrots), shallots, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes, sprinkle with flour, stir until the flour is dissolved.
  • Add the chicken and bacon back to the pot. Pour in enough wine to almost cover the chicken, or about four cups. Add two bay leaves and 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for one hour.
  • To saute the mushrooms separately, add two tablespoon butter to a small pot and melt over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until heated through and tender, about 5 minutes. Otherwise, you can add the mushroom in with the wine before simmering the chicken. 
  • After the chicken has simmered for an hour, remove some of the liquid from the pot to a bowl or measuring cup and add 1 ½ tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, mix well. Add the mixture back to the pot, stir, and cook for a few minutes more before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 890kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 1261mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 16115IU | Vitamin C: 7.1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 4.6mg